title: Communicating in complex situations: a normative approach to HIV-related talk among parents who are HIV+.
abstract: Parents with HIV/AIDS are confronted with unique challenges when discussing HIV-related information with their children. Strategies for navigating these challenges effectively have not been systematically examined. In this study, we conducted in-depth interviews with 76 parents with HIV/AIDS who had children ages 10-18 years. Guided by O'Keefe and Delia's definition of a complex communication situation and Goldsmith's normative approach to interpersonal communication, we examined parents' goals for discussing HIV-related information, factors that made conversations challenging, and instances where these conversational purposes conflicted with one another. Our data reveal the following parent-adolescent communication predicaments: relaying safety information about HIV while minimizing child anxiety, modeling open family communication without damaging one's parental identity, and balancing parent-child relational needs amid living with an unpredictable health condition. Parents also described a variety of strategies for mitigating challenges when discussing HIV-related topics. Strategies parents perceived as effective included reframing HIV as a chronic, manageable illness; keeping talk educational; and embedding HIV-related topics within more general conversations. The theoretical and practical applications of these findings are discussed with regard to their relevance to health communication scholars and HIV care professionals.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, College of Medicine , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
authors.forename: Laura L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Donovan-Kicken
authors.forename: Janet S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Reis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010287:Parent-Child Relations